Some 1,280 children subject to deprivation of liberty applications in 2024, with order made in almost 90% of cases issued: MoJ

New data published by the Ministry of Justice has revealed that 1,280 children were subject to applications to deprive them of their liberty in 2024 in England and Wales, down from 1,368 in 2023.

The Family Court Statistics Quarterly, published today (27 March), reveal there were 321 applications, relating to 321 individual children, for Deprivation of Liberty (DoL) orders in the High Court between October and December 2024.

In total, there were 1,280 applications to deprive children of their liberty under the inherent jurisdiction in 2024 in England and Wales, with orders having been made in 89.9% of cases issued.

The data shows over one-fifth of children (23.4%) were subject to orders for less than three months, and 22.6% for between three and six months.

However, the majority of children were subject to an order for more than six months, “suggesting that these are not short-term measures”, the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory (NFJO) observed.

Looking at the demographics of children involved, the data reveals over half (57.3%) of children subject to applications in 2024 were aged between 13-15 years, 32.3% were aged between 16 and 18, and 10.3% were 12 or under.

There was a largely equal gender split (female: 51.5%; male: 48.4%).

In 2024, there were 261 applications for secure accommodation orders to place children in a secure children’s home. There were more than six times the number of DoL applications, compared to secure accommodation applications. 

Commenting on these figures, the NFJO said: “This reflects a growing trend where applications for DoL orders – which authorise the deprivation of a child’s liberty in an unregulated secure placement – vastly outnumber applications to place children in registered secure accommodation. There is [a] severe shortage of places in secure children’s homes, with around 50 children waiting for a place on any given day.”

The quarterly statistics also revealed that on average, care proceedings took less time than in the same quarter last year, with more disposals being made within the 26-week statutory timescale for the completion of care and supervision proceedings.

The average time for a care or supervision case to reach first disposal was 38 weeks in October to December 2024, down 3 weeks compared to the same quarter in 2023. 37% of cases were disposed of within 26 weeks - up 3 percentage points compared to the same period in 2023.

The average time to first disposal throughout 2024 was 40 weeks, down 2 weeks from 2023. 34% of cases were disposed of within 26 weeks, up 5 percentage points compared to 2023.

Looking at adoption, the data shows that during 2024 there were 4,099 applications made, down 4% from 2023. This continues the “downward trend” seen in adoption applications made since 2014, the MoJ noted.

Lottie Winson